Then Came Berlin!
October 9, 2026–January 25, 2027
Alte Jakobstraße 124-128
Berlin 10969
Germany
Hours: Monday and Wednesday–Sunday 10am–6pm
In his own lifetime Lovis Corinth (1858–1925) was one of the best-known, most influential figures in Berlin’s modernist circles alongside Max Liebermann, Max Slevogt and Walter Leistikow. The artist had already turned forty when, in 1901, he decided to shift his base to Berlin. Corinth put naturalism behind him and became one of the leading modern painters of his day. Looking back, the key to this unprecedented bout of success was obvious to Corinth: “Munich was not the right place for me. It didn’t take off until Berlin.”
For a quarter of a century, Corinth’s art was celebrated as modern and became a flagship for the German avant-garde. Even today he is associated with that spontaneous, expressive brushwork, which set its stamp on the future course of art, as witnessed not least by the Neue Wilde, Georg Baselitz and Lucian Freud.
The exhibition at the Berlinische Galerie features around 80 works by Lovis Corinth as well as about 30 works by his students and contemporaries, including Charlotte Berend-Corinth, Minna Beckmann-Tube, August Macke and Max Slevogt. Outstanding paintings by Corinth from the Berlinische Galerie’s own collection are presented alongside loans from public and private collections.
The exhibition casts new light on who was taught by Lovis Corinth, what methods he used and how his students responded to his teaching. It also explores the opportunities available to artists, especially women, seeking to pursue a career in art in the early 20th century. Another focus is Corinth’s passion for the theatre. From 1903 onwards, he designed costumes and stage sets for theatre director and impresario Max Reinhardt.
With this exhibition, the Berlinische Galerie continues a series of successful monographic exhibitions devoted to modern artists in Berlin, including Edvard Munch in 2023/24, Ferdinand Hodler in 2021/22 and Lotte Laserstein in 2019.
Catalogue
The exhibition is accompanied by an catalogue of 256 pages with approx. 200 images.
Published by Hatje Cantz, 44 €, ISBN: 978-3-7757-6348-6
Public guided tours
Public guided tours in English take place every Saturday at 4:15 pm.
Press contact
Berlinische Galerie. Museum for Modern Art, Photography and Architecture
Sascha Perkins, Head of Communications and Education: perkins@berlinischegalerie.de
Karoline Köber, Communications & Strategic Consulting: mail@karolinekoeber.de
The exhibition and the catalogue are supported by the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, in particular the Alte Nationalgalerie, Neue Nationalgalerie and Kupferstichkabinett, and by the Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin: Berlin Museum and were generously funded by the LOTTO-Stifung Berlin, the Ernst von Siemens Kunststiftung and the International Music and Art Foundation, Vaduz.
